Beach

We had so much fun going to the beach with kyles family a few weeks ago. We thought the hurricane would affect our vacation but just delayed it a day and created some huge waves. Aubrey and I road in the car with uncle Jeff, aunt Alisha, and baby Caden. The kids did pretty well in the car never failed that when one was awake the other was napping. We were so happy to be on the beach it was Aubrey's first time on a real beach not just the river or lake beach. She loved jumping waves and the girl has no fear she was ready just to go in. On a day we were in the water practically the whole day Aubrey was so concerned about her wrinkled fingers and toes it was really cute. One bad thing is my camera broke on vacation so right now I just have my phone for pictures and I feel. Very lost without my camera, waiting to find one on sale. We had a blast though and are so ready to go back already!

iPhone blogging

We'll see if this works out better since I always have my phone with me and usually don't have the energy after fun days of playing to get out my computer and blog. I've realized though as I've said before its my way of scrapbooking and documenting our life and our little girl growing up. Speaking of growing up she is getting so big so fast.
Favorite food= Mimi chips (baked lays she had at Mimi's once so that's their name) edamames, and strawberries
Favorite show= my little pony or strawberry shortcake
Favorite toy= loves playing baby dolls and dress up
Favorite color= pink especially when painting her toes pink (she calls them vacation toes because we painted toes before going to Florida)
Number can count to= 12
Favorite thing to do outside= playing with her two neighbor friends Clara an Hailey they're both about 17 months old
Favorite song= elephant has wrinkles song we sing at the library and she sings Luke Bryan's country girl shake it for me girl haha
Favorite drink= apple juice and she likes getting special treat slushies
Favorite book= Pocahontas and ice age right now
Favorite movie= Madagascar 2 we wet to the movies to see Madagascar 3 with Aidan
Favorite thing to say= no way

I'm Back

Ok, I think I'm back. I hope I'm back. We'll see if it sticks. Life has happened since I've posted last, moved back to St. Louis, bought a house, went on vacations, Kyle started residency, Aubrey turned 2. A lot has happened. I guess it's also not technically life down south anymore either, oh how I miss Tennessee. I'm loving being back closer to family and friends but there are many a moment when I miss our simple life up on Mikonda. I am going to try and get back at blogging so I have a place for all of our memories because oh my does little Miss Aubrey give us some memorable moments. She is hilarious now that she's so talkative. She's such a silly girl and is making us laugh all the time. She also is definitely "2", she knows how to say no and knows when to throw a fit (just happens always to be in Target when there is a billion eyes on us). Yes, I have overheard the comment "Honey, thank you for not acting like that (mom to her 4 year old)". Hmm lady I doubt you've ever had this happen, ever! 2 year old wants toy, 2 year old hasn't had nap, 2 year old screams, it all adds up for me. One problem is my 2 year old looks like a 4 year old and I guess is expected to act like one, but nope not so much. Speaking of looking like a 4 year old, Aubrey's 2 year old stats- weighing in at 32 pounds and and 39 inches tall. Off the charts for height, hoping for an olympic beach volleyball player (we've been watching the olympics before bedtime- she especially loves beach volleyball and gymnastics). So this was my attempt at a quick synopsis of trying to catch up. Here's just a couple pictures of our giant I mean adorable 2 year old.

Our Silly Girl

Aubrey has been making us laugh a lot lately.  She has such a big personality, a little bit of me (she'll go up and talk to absolutely anyone) and a little bit of Kyle (she has his little sense of humor).  I know a year ago I was having a hard time with thinking about her turning 1 and the fact that I was going to lose my little baby.  I didn't lose my little baby but what I got in return was a fun, always exciting (sometimes challenging) toddler.  Since I'm blessed to stay home with her too it feels like I have my own little best friend.  We have our little routine and sometimes we just hang out at home playing, coloring, snuggling, watching Dumbo, playing outside looking for pirates, shooting water guns, coloring with chalk, waiting for the mailman, eating popsicles, having tea parties on the porch.  Other days we adventure out even if it's just for going to the post office or paying the water bill and depositing a check we try to make it fun, of course the free suckers while running errands aren't bad either.  We often go to the library in Cookeville and also in Sparta for kids reading hour.  We have met a new friends Ryker and Leana that we usually meet at least once a week and go to the park or to the children's museum.  I have so much fun with my little buddy and I see a lot more fun to come our way over the years.  Thank you Aubrey Lynne for being our little laughter release every day.

Aubrey got herself a snack while we were packing up the car to go house hunting in St. Louis (a post just dedicated to that in the near future).  She got an apple out of the bag and just started eating it and did a good job biting off pieces.

 Rocking Aubrey outside while it started to rain, the smell of rain, a snuggly toddler =heaven!

 Aubrey and Aidan even have fun with just a puddle.  These two are so goofy.

 Playing water balloons outside in her new Dora swimsuit from her cousin Bella.

 Eating an elephant peanut butter sandwich while watching her new favorite movie, Dumbo!

 Doing bubbles after story hour at the Sparta library.  We love this library for the kids part, they do a craft and play bubbles.  Sooooo much better than the other kids hour where Aubrey got in trouble for standing up and dancing while the lady was playing a guitar.  Come on you can't play music around a toddler and not expect them to dance!

 Practicing for the intense Toti easter egg hunt, we are conditioning Aubrey to shake the eggs and if they make noise throw them back we aren't interested in little change it's the silent ones she wants the ones with the big bucks, haha.  We breed winners, here, haha.

 Aubrey's buddy Ryker, we have so much fun with him and his momma.

 Seriously the cutest thing I've EVER SEEN!!  And they actually had done this the week before and I didn't have my camera but they decided to do it again last week and I caught it.  Ryker also gave Aubrey a hug and as she bent down he kissed her on top of the head, seriously cuteness overload!  And not that the picture isn't cute enough, here's a video of one of Aubrey's first dates.

Big News

Well hello blog world, I swear we are like a high school couple that needs their break ups every now and then.  I truly love having a blog and documenting all the things about our life, they may seem mundane to the few people that visit this little 'ol blog, but someday I think I will totally look back on it and glad I documented all the small and big things.

Ok now for big thing, like BIGGGG THING!  No there isn't another Toti baby in the oven, hold your horses there.  We found out where Kyle matched!!!  He matched family medicine in Des Peres, MO!!!  Right by St. Louis.  We're so excited he got his first choice and I think it will be a good fit for him and our family.  He did a rotation there for a month last year and really enjoyed the clinic, the staff, and the residents.  We're also excited to be moving back to some family and friends too!  So enough big news for one blog post and like a high school relationship I'll take this steady and slow, should be uploading more pictures this weekend. 

Kiddos Playing

Aubrey has so much fun when Aidan (or A-D as she calls him) comes over.  They both instantly start acting insanely goofy and always are making us laugh.  Aidan also has a nickname for Aubrey and will supposedly stand at their front door and say Baubrey, Baubrey.  They are truly best friends and it's so neat to see them interact together. 

They often get out Aubrey's car she got from her Great Grandma and they will ride around the living room running into things.  Aubrey always insists on putting on her helmet.....safety first. She's also wearing a new adorable dress from our friends Sheila and Kai, the girl loves clothes.

Pictures don't do their sillyness justice, so here are a few videos of A-D and Baubrey at their finest.

In this first one Aubrey is acting like a pirate and kept saying arrrr, arrr.

Then they got a little crazy in the kitchen singing the AB's and spinning in circles, yep only the AB's because those are the only letters Aubrey knows so nope we don't sing the ABC's in our house we sing the AB's.

Her secret play spot

This is one of Aubrey's favorite spot to play.  She'll try and move the chairs and then come say help peease, oh yeah it's pretty darn cute.  So here's Aubrey playing with Tata (what she calls Kyle) under the table.  They were playing with one of my best deals I've ever gotten from McKays used book store a .99 strawberry shortcake play house/book it's gotten us through a flight to Dallas and even Christmas Eve church service. 

Back story on McKays (one of my favorite places in Knoxville).....when I was in labor with Aubrey we kept having to walk and walk and walk some more and then going back to the dr checking to see if I had progressed any.  One of our last big walks took place at McKays, I walked laps upstairs of that place and walked every aisle downstairs.  It's a GINORMOUS used book store that is always packed whether it's 3 in the afternoon on a weekday or 9 pm on a Saturday, we love that place and only wish it was closer so we could go more often.  Maybe this is where Aubrey gets her love for books.

Snow Day

A couple weeks ago we got our first snow that Aubrey could appreciate.  First Kyle brought some in a cup for her to play with and of course taste.  She was so cute playing with the snow so afterwards I bundled her all up and we went out and played.  Like true Tennesseeans that we are we didn't have a sled so we used a plastic storage box and what do you know it worked!  We looked so hick but Aubrey had fun. Aubrey was so excited about the snow and was even going next door to the neighbors and yelling excitedly NOOOOOO she called snow nooo with this weird sound she added to it and every time she yelled it.  We tried catching it on tape but she was too focused on eating her snow to actually say snow, so maybe next time it nooooo's we'll catch it on tape.  Here's all we got when we tried.

Tasting her snow.

The snow kept falling and hitting her in the face but she kept on doing it.

This was the cold face that always followed Aubrey eating the ice.